Cultural diversity in a society is key to development, University of Management and Technology President, Ibrahim Hasan Murad, has said. Speaking on the eve of World Day of Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development on May 21, Murad said the values of the Day should not only be celebrated, but the promotion of human rights and freedom should remain a continuous endeavour. The UMT president said that according to the United Nations, creative and cultural industries contributed 3% of the GDP to the global economy and accounted for 29.5 million jobs worldwide. He said bringing cultures closer to each other was essential for freedom, stability and growth. “Intercultural dialogues and discussions are the best tools for conflict resolution and the promotion of cultural diversity,” he added. Mr. Murad added that Pakistan has many diverse cultures our youth needed to preserve and appreciate these cultures in order to keep the traditions from becoming obsolete. He said valuing and promoting cultural diversity was an asset to generating sustainability since cultural diversity made the world more beautiful. He said educational institutions were the best place where youth could interact with peers from different cultures and languages. Ibrahim invited all stakeholders to join hands for the promotion of cultural diversity, mutual understanding and development across the globe. “We must respect people and groups of all races, cultures, nationalities, gender, faiths and socioeconomic status,” he concluded.